Equality sacrificed on the altar of power

It appears a truth now widely acknowledged that a single woman in possession of power in Tasmania must be in want of a husband.

Intense media focus on the marital status of new Tasmanian Premier
Lara Giddings
could have convinced even Jane Austen such is the case.

When it comes to picking over female leaders’ personal choices, the media have been having a field day. Recall the endless speculation since June 24, 2010, about whether
Julia Gillard
would marry her partner
Tim Mathieson
, whether he would stand by his woman in the absence of the sobering influence of wedlock – and whether it was a bit suss that during several media grillings, the Prime Minister consistently failed to crack and admit she should have had children.

Now it’s the turn of Giddings.

Women of all shapes, sizes, life choices, situations and circumstances have walked the world’s corridors of power since time immemorial.

Company Profile

Despite the lengthy roll-call, whenever another of the female species lands a position of authority, it’s clearly important to make a fuss all over again.

“She’s the first female premier of Tasmania – not a client for a dating agency!" despairs Carol Johnson, Adelaide University’s professor of politics and a member of the Fay Gale Centre for Gender Studies, of the deeply personal questions Giddings has had to endure.

“We learnt this week that even with a female prime minister, we still assume leaders are male. Women in power are still made to negotiate their gender in a way men don’t have to."

The headlines took Johnson back to 1974 when a national newspaper screamed “Kissable Senator" by way of introducing Queensland Liberal senator Kathy Martin.

“You like to think times have changed, then you wake up one morning and read a headline in the same newspaper, ‘Leftist Lara still looking for Mr Right’," she says. “I can’t remember [South Australian Premier] Mike Rann attracting similar headlines when he was a single man.

Other gems include: “Sensible sister known as calm voice of reason", “Giddings steps in to replace family man Bartlett" and “Lara a topic for talk across the nation".

Johnson says focusing on the personal obscures the real issues – why it took Tasmania so long to elect a female premier, not to mention the wisdom of women stepping into leadership positions suddenly vacated because a male incumbent is on the nose.

“You have to wonder: would the Labor Party be quite so ready to sacrifice its most capable male candidates in such circumstances?" she says.

“Or would it save them for rebuilding the party later? Would male candidates hesitate to put their hat in the ring under such circumstances – or is it just that female candidates might feel it’s their only chance at leadership?"